The present invention generally relates to hydropower systems, and more specifically to a modular hydrokinetic turbine.
In general, prior hydropower systems are disruptive to ecosystems, the environment, require high capital expenditure and result in extended permitting time to acquire regulatory approvals. The ensuing studies, engineering and time for construction approvals, raise the overall costs associated with hydro power development to the extent that the resulting Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE) to recuperate these expenses becomes a risky proposition, as a developer must consider the possibility that a project may not be approved.
In developing countries, particularly in rural isolated communities, mobilization and the logistics involved in accessing the equipment necessary to develop traditional hydro power may also be an issue. High cost transmission lines required to service such isolated markets from large scale power projects frequently is not viable and so the optimal solution would be to create micro-grid scale power that can be easily and quickly deployed close to its end users with minimal infrastructure requirements.
Existing hydro solutions are also limited to the width of the waterway as they disrupt the flow of water downstream due to the nature of their design and once constructed are difficult to scale without substantial disruption and investment.